Self-Determination Theory in the Clinic: Motivating Physical and Mental Health

The first part of the book provides historical background to self-determination theory, showing that it is humanistically oriented and has three decades of empirical research behind it. In the process, the authors discuss why humanistic psychology fell out of favor in academic psychology; why self-help and New Age books have such perennial popularity; and why it is so important for authorities to support patients sense of self. The remainder of the book presents many specific case examples to describe the theorys application.